As deadline looms most have yet to re-enroll in Obamacare

Only about a quarter of the residents covered under Obamacare have re-enrolled on the federal health insurance exchange with a week left until their coverage expires on Jan. 1.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. agency in charge of Obamacare, said 5,911 people in Hawaii signed up for coverage through the federal marketplace, healthcare.gov. The state said there are 24,000 residents currently on Obamacare plans. The deadline to keep coverage active at the start of the new year is Dec. 15.

“Time is running out to sign up for a health plan that begins on Jan. 1,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a news release. “With less than a week remaining before the Dec. 15th deadline, we urge consumers to visit healthcare.gov and get enrolled.”

The enrollment period for 2016 policies under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, began Nov. 1 and ends on Jan. 31.

“Having health insurance when you can afford it is now the law. If someone chooses not to buy health insurance and could afford to do so, they are at risk of paying a fee of $695 or more,” Burwell added.